


Kiss it Better

by nothingelsematters



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: M/M, because poor injured bbs!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 16:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6712744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingelsematters/pseuds/nothingelsematters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason's always been there for Joshua every time he gets injured.</p>
<p>Now it's his turn to be there for his boyfriend. As soon as his head stops spinning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Concussion

**Author's Note:**

> A pair of shortlets surrounding Joshua's concussion and Jason's back. Because as if one of them being injured wasn't bad enough, the universe decided to injure them both!

Josh knows as soon as he hits the ice that he's done something really bad this time. The pain that lances up through his neck is white-hot, and within moments, he starts to feel woozy. He draws his legs under himself and tries to push himself up. It fails dismally and he finds himself crumpled on the ice again.

"Josh? You okay bud?"

The hand under his arm is small, and the voice has that distinctive Arizona edge. Max heaves Josh upright, and the world spins violently. Josh is assailed by nausea and fights it hard; the last thing he wants to do is vomit all over his friend and the ice. Fortunately, Max is strong enough to hold him up; Josh closes his eyes, and waits for the world to stop spinning. Then a second arm laces across his back, and this time Josh finds himself sagging against a much bigger, broader body; he realises he had probably been crushing Max.

It seems to take forever, but finally the ice stops rocking beneath his feet - well, stops rocking as much, anyway. At Lukas' urging, he opens his eyes and looks at his best friend. Lukas is frowning, and holding up a finger. Josh watches it aimlessly.

"I got him," Lukas says to Max, and Max skates off with a few backwards glances. Dimly, Josh is aware that Max is speaking animatedly to Tom; Tom is hurrying around to Christy, who is now watching Lukas and Josh approach with concern.

Tom and Christy speak intensely for a few moments, and Josh wonders what his old coach is telling her.

"You look awful, Josh," Christy says sharply when they reach the barrier. "What happened?"

"Fell," Josh managed to say. "Quad toe. I don't - I think I hit something? My neck hurts."

"Whiplash," Lukas says authoritatively. "I saw your head snap back. Christy, I think he's in trouble. He should get checked out."

"I'll be fine," Josh insists weakly. "Really."

"You're not driving home," Christy says. "Get off the ice and get your boots off. I'll get someone to give you a lift."

Lukas helps Josh off the ice and seats him on the bench just beyond the door, before fetching Josh's skate bag from the locker room. "Do you need help?"

"I'll be fine," Josh insists. "Don't wreck your session."

Lukas leaves him alone, then, but reluctantly, and returns to the ice. Josh bends down to untie his skates, and nearly falls off the bench as his head spins again.

This is not good.

*

Mirai ends up driving Josh home; she's clearly worried about him, but doesn't want to bug him, and when he protests that he's fine to be left alone in the apartment, even though Joe is still at the rink and won't be back for hours, she does so. Josh carefully makes his way into his bedroom; he closes his blinds, crawls into bed, and shuts his eyes. His head is spinning, but so are his thoughts. This can't be happening. Surely, he thinks desperately, it'll pass, he'll be back on the ice next week, or maybe the week after, and he can keep working towards next season. He starts to hum _The Pines of Rome_ , and begins to drift into a strange land that's not quite sleeping.

The soft opening and closing of the door intrudes upon his thoughts, and he wonders who's come in. Somebody who knew he was ill, clearly, because the door was too soft for anything else. The only two people with a key are Joe and Jason. Then his bedroom door opens quietly, and he hears a footfall almost more familiar to him than his own.

"Josh?" comes the whisper, and as always, Jason's voice brings an involuntary smile to Josh's face.

"I'm alive," he says weakly, but the humour falls flat. He can't know that his skin is so white he almost glows, or that there are huge shadows under his eyes, or that every fibre of his body is held as though he is in great pain. He can't see what Jason sees, but he hears it in his voice as Jason asks what happened, and he makes a herculean effort to open his eyes.

"Took a fall," he manages to say. Jason comes into focus by the dim light and he sees something on his boyfriend's face that he's never seen before.

_Fear_.

Jason is _afraid_?

Josh's protective instincts rise, and he realises he's scaring Jason. Quickly, he sits up, only to immediately regret his hasty action. Fortunately, Jason has quick reflexes and is intimately familiar with the unconscious language of Josh's body; he makes it to Josh's side with the wastepaper basket just in time for Josh to vomit into it.

"You need to see a doctor, love," Jason says sternly, when Josh is finished and wipes his mouth on the tissues from his bedside table. "I'll take you. Now."

"I'm -"

"Say, 'I'm fine', and you soon won't be," Jason cuts him off, and though Josh knows the threat is hollow, he hears the concern underneath it.

"Okay," he says, resigned. "But you know the doctor will tell me to just take it easy for a week or two to recover."

"It doesn't matter," Jason says. "You're getting checked anyway."

*

The doctor ends up recommending further scans, and Josh has to get his mum to take him, because Jason needs to get back to the rink. The scans hurt, and the doctor hurts, and the light hurts his eyes, but none of that hurts as much as what the doctor says.

"This is very severe, Mr Farris. Particularly with your past, we must be very careful in how this is managed. If you get another concussion on top of this one it could have serious repercussions on your long-term health."

"Will I be back in time for the season?"

The doctor looks at him levelly, and for a long time, before speaking.

"I think that your season is finished, Mr Farris."

*

Josh is back in his room, the blinds shut tight, only a dim nightlight that his mother had picked up at Target on their way home providing any light ("He needs a dim light," the doctor had said, "because it would be worse for him to trip on something in the dark,"). He's back on his bed, but this time, he's not visualising his program, or losing himself in the music. He's crying, because he knows. The season is done, before it ever begun, and it's devastating.

Jason arrives not long after; he hears the low hum of voices in the dining room, as Josh's mum recounts the doctor's visit to Jason. Josh rolls onto his side, very slowly, as his head whirls; he closes his eyes again, and tries not to think.

The door opens and is quickly shut so as not to let light in; and then he hears those steps again, and the bed dips very carefully. A gentle arm loops around his waist; a tender hand strokes his cheek, and he feels a butterfly kiss brush his nose.

"Hey, love," Jason whispers, and Josh opens his eyes, because no matter how long it takes them to focus, he needs to see Jason right now. There's worry in Jason's face; he knows that Jason will be seeing the way his eyes are unfocused and glassy and he'll know what it means.

He tries to smile, but it clearly doesn't work.

"I'm here," Jason says softly, and widgets their bodies closer together. For the first time since the fall, tension starts to leak out of Josh's body. He feels warm and he feels safe, here in the circle of Jason's arms the way he always has.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I'm always making you look after me."

Jason's lips curve into a smile against the skin of Josh's temple, and even though his head is throbbing, it's a soothing feeling.

"But I like looking after you. Don't worry. I'll make everything better. Everything will be all right."

Josh can't shake his head.

*

It is weeks before Josh can move around normally, weeks before he can stand normal light again, weeks before he can read, write or use a computer. Driving is out of the question and skating even more so. Joe cooks and takes care of their apartment, and Josh's mum is always around, but it's Jason's presence that always makes Josh feel better. They don't talk skating, Jason knows Josh won't be able to handle that, but they talk about other things. Jason reads to him, even chapters from the Lord of the Rings that Josh loves but knows are tedious to read aloud, and sometimes sings, badly, which makes Josh giggle and then wince in pain.

Jason feeds him, Jason helps him to the shower on the days when the dizziness is so bad he can barely think, Jason holds him tightly and whispers in his ear that everything will be all right. And Josh clings to him, clings to that. If Jason says it will be all right, it must be. It has to be.

The worst part for Josh is that even Jason's kisses hurt. There are days when the lightest brush of Jason's lips against his skin causes pain; there are days when a proper kiss is out of the question. But even when they hurt, Josh still wants that kiss. Because when Jason kisses him, everything is all right.


	2. Back Strain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some speculation in this chapter.

Jason ignores the first twinges in his back, even as Vincent proudly records the quad toes that he's doing in practice. The jump is coming along so well, he just can't stop _now_ , not with the Grand Prix starting in a few weeks. If he can land a quad in the free skate at Skate America...even the thought makes his heart beat a little faster. If he could land a clean quad in competition, it would silence the critics...

So he tries, and tries, and tries again, and rubs Voltaren on his back, and when Kori asks, he just smiles and says that everything's fine. And he knows that she doesn't believe him, but he can't tell her. He has to prove to everyone that he deserved to be National Champion, and he can't do that if he pulls out.

When he visits Joshua that night, though, it becomes harder. He's never lied to Josh, not ever, and he can barely stand to now, with Josh lying on that bed so pale and vulnerable and still prone to fits of dizziness. But Josh asks eagerly about his training, hungry for the world of the ice that he can't be part of right now, and Jason tells him, skirting the issue of his back. But just like Kori, Jason knows that Josh knows.

Something is wrong.

*

It all comes crashing down a week after Skate America. He's happy with his bronze medal from that competition, even if not entirely happy with how he skated, so he's working harder than ever on the quad. And then he jerks his back awkwardly as he takes off, and comes crashing down, and the pain that flashes through his spine brings tears to his eyes. For a long moment, he can hardly breathe, let alone move.

Kori, always aware of him wherever he is on the ice, no matter who she is working with, is at his side almost instantly. And then Jason's breath returns in a big, shuddering gasp, and with it come the hot tears that seem to choke him. 

"I'm sorry, Kori. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kori says soothingly, wiping his face with her sleeve, the way she had done since he was five years old. "But please, please Jason, go to the doctor and get this sorted out properly."

Jason nods, and limps his way into the locker room to take his skates off. With every step his back twinges, and he already knows, he can see the writing already on the wall.

His Grand Prix is over.

*

"You're early!"

Josh is clearly surprised to see him. He stands up slowly from where he'd been sitting on the couch with his guitar. Jason can see the sheets of paper all around him; Josh has been songwriting again. Any other time Jason would tease him, check the lyrics and rib him for writing mopey emo songs, but he can't, not now. Because Josh is facing him, still pale-faced, still foggy, still in need of his care. How can he tell Josh that he's injured, when Josh is still so unwell?

"Jase? Are you all right?"

Jason tries to put on a brave face, tries to smile, tries to fob off Josh's concern as nothing. But even as he does, the hot tears choke him again; the smile slides away before it even starts, lost in a flood of tears.

"Jase!"

Josh moves quickly, too quickly; he grabs hold of Jason not just to comfort him, but to steady himself from the dizziness, and Jason can't help the cry of pain as Josh's grab inadvertently pulls on his back.

"You're hurt!"

Again Jason tries to shake his head, but he can't. Defeated, he nods silently, cursing himself for being unable to do anything but stand there and cry.

But Josh bends slightly and kisses him, gently, lovingly, first on his nose and then on his lips, tenderly smoothing away the tears on his cheeks, and singing wordlessly, softly to him, until Jason feels calmer, less like he's about to break apart into a million pieces.

"Thanks," Jason mumbles, slightly embarrassed by his breakdown.

"You're welcome," Josh says. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened?"

And Jason blurts out the whole story, about how he'd kept it from Kori because he knew how important it was to get the quad out in competition, about how he'd kept it from Josh because he didn't want Josh to worry about him with the way his head was, and about how it had all fallen away this afternoon...

"I still don't understand," Josh says slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jason knows it sounds silly, even to himself. "I didn't - I didn't want you to worry. It's - it's my job to look after you, you're not supposed to worry about me."

Josh blinks twice, slowly, then manages a weak smile. "It's also my job to look after you, Jase. And my job to worry about you. I love you, you know. I know I've been a burden on you the last few months, but please, don't think your own health is less important than mine."

And Jason moves forward, slowly, carefully, nestling himself into the circle of Joshua's arms, where he feels - has always felt - safe and warm. He finds a spot that doesn't hurt his back, and lets his head rest on Josh's shoulder, and for the first time, feels like everything will be all right.

*

Jason's back takes longer to heal than expected. He loses the NHK Trophy in Japan, and wallows in sadness for his Japanese fans for several days. He pushes himself back onto the ice sooner than he should, and soon finds himself back in the physiotherapist's office, accompanied by an uncharacteristically stern Josh, who insists on making sure Jason follows the instructions to a T.

They watch US Nationals together, curled up in bed with a bowl of popcorn, and wind up thoroughly dissecting the end result. All week long they avoid the subject, but finally Josh brings it up.

"That'll be us, next year."

"What will be?" Jason asks cheerfully, as they watch the medal ceremony. "Us getting herded into the correct position for photos by Max?"

Josh giggles. "Well, yes. Us. Together, on the podium again. I promise."

Jason knows the sad expression is on his face. "You can't promise that. My back is still not right. Your head - you know what the doctors say -" and for a moment the old fear closes his throat.

Josh leans over him, and for the first time in months, his eyes aren't foggy; they're sharp, focused, that fiery, pure blue that Jason loves so much. "I promise," he repeats, and kisses Jason firmly. "We'll both be there. Together."

Jason smiles and lets Josh kiss him again. "All right. Promise."

Josh pulls them closer, carefully making sure Jason's back is not going to hurt him; Jason settles them together, carefully cradling Josh's head.

"Feel better now?"

"Much," Jason says with a smile, kissing Josh's forehead. "Much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's to these two tearing it up in the 2016-2017 season!


End file.
